Dispatch reporters and editors answer readers’ questions about Ohio State athletics at BuckeyeXtra.com.

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Question: I notice that the Buckeyes do not play Nebraska in 2013, ’14, ’15 and ’16. Does that make sense?

— Gary Sellers, Bourbonnais, Ill.

Answer: The Big Ten has an eight-game schedule in which teams play division opponents and the same crossover opponent (Ohio State has Michigan) each season. Each team also plays two of the other five schools in the opposite division, which means they avoid three conference foes each season. The format necessitates a four-year break for some series; Ohio State also is in the midst of a four-year hiatus with Minnesota. — Rob Oller

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Q: Why does cornerback Travis Howard play so far off the line? UAB got 6 to 8 yards every time a play went his way.

— David Varda, Columbus

A: The Buckeyes began the season playing a soft zone defense, thinking it was better for defensive backs to see and react to quarterbacks. After teams had success in the short passing game, coach Urban Meyer urged/ordered tighter coverage. Howard, Bradley Roby and Doran Grant have the skills to handle press coverage, and that’s what they’re doing more of now. — Bill Rabinowitz

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Q: I suppose it’s not a big deal in the big picture, but what’s with Ohio State playing Walsh every year in an exhibition?

— Ryan K. Lattimore, Massillon

A: NCAA Division I teams cannot play other Division I teams in an exhibition game, only in a closed scrimmage, which Ohio State does once a year. I think coach Thad Matta respects what the Walsh program has accomplished at the NAIA level. — Bob Baptist